Juno cleared the last major evaluation this morning when the Launch Readiness Review gave its approval for Friday's liftoff on a mission to study Jupiter. The review concluded with the signing of the launch certificate which sets the stage for launch. Liftoff remains on schedule for 11:34 a.m. EDT. It will take Juno five years to reach Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. It will then orbit the planet for a year conducting research to find out details about Jupiter's structure and origins.

The Atlas V that will start Juno on its way to Jupiter is in place now after rolling out from its protective hangar at Space Launch Complex-41. The rocket is equipped with five solid-fueled boosters and a Centaur upper stage, one of the most powerful combinations in the NASA catalog for launching a spacecraft without astronauts onboard. The weather forecast for tomorrow morning's launch continues to call for a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions. Tropical Storm Emily is not expected to influence the weather at that time, although meteorologists are monitoring the storm closely as it moves through the Caribbean islands to Florida's southeast. The 4-ton Juno spacecraft will take five years to reach Jupiter on a mission to study its structure and decipher its history. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:34 a.m. EDT.

On Friday, Aug. 5, the launch window for NASA's Jupiter-bound Juno mission opens at 8:34 a.m. PDT (11:34 a.m. EDT) and extends through 9:43 a.m. PDT (12:43 p.m. EDT) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The satellite observatory is nestled inside the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket, the most powerful Atlas rocket in NASA's inventory.

The solar-powered Juno spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 30 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.

Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog also begins at 6 a.m. PDT (9 a.m. EDT) at NASA - Juno Launch Blog . Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff. To access these features, and for more information on Juno, go to NASA's Juno website at NASA - Juno , and to the mission site at Mission Juno .

Launch Right after launch, the rocket will be airborne, carrying Juno up and over the Atlantic Ocean.

Solid rocket motors jettisoned -- occurs at about launch plus 106 seconds The five solid rocket motors that have been providing some extra "get-up-and-go" for Juno's Atlas will complete their burn and be "stagger jettisoned." First, solids 1 and 2 separate from the rocket, followed 1.5 seconds later by solids 3, 4 and 5.

Fairing and stages separate -- occurs at about launch plus 4 minutes, 45 seconds The Atlas's 68-footlong (21-meter-long) nose cone, or fairing, will separate and be jettisoned as planned, providing Juno and its Centaur upper stage with their first taste of exo-atmospheric existence. The Atlas V's 106.6 foot-long (33-meter-long) first-stage will have completed its tour of duty. The Centaur upper stage, which will provide the final kick for Juno, will begin the first of two scheduled burns.

Parking at 17,500 miles per hour -- occurs at about launch plus 10 minutes, 45 seconds The Centaur upper stage will temporarily stop firing, as planned, and the rocket and Juno will begin a planned 30-minute coast phase, also known as a "parking orbit."

Centaur burns for Jupiter -- occurs at about launch plus 41 minutes, 33 seconds The Atlas V's Centaur upper stage will begin a second burn. This approximately nine-minute-long burn will place Juno on its desired trajectory.

Spacecraft separates from Centaur -- occurs at about launch plus 56 minutes The Juno spacecraft will separate from the Centaur upper stage of its Atlas V rocket. At this point, Jupiter will be five years and 1,740 million miles (2,800 million kilometers) away.

Its pretty cool that solar panels have improved so much that they can be used to power this. I have nothing against RTG's but its interesting to see the improvement in efficency since Galileo and Cassini.

Its pretty cool that solar panels have improved so much that they can be used to power this. I have nothing against RTG's but its interesting to see the improvement in efficency since Galileo and Cassini.

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